Project Namaste - Community Service Project

“Namaste!... Namaste!... Namaste!...”. Our group of 25 was greeted with such a warm welcome of sincere “hellos” when we arrived at Armala village in Pokhara, Nepal. We were very surprised when we saw the number of villagers who had lined up from our drop off point at the entrance of the village, all the way in (approximately 5 minutes walk) to Shree Janata Primary School, the place we were offering our services to. Most of us had our first taste of Nepalese culture when our foreheads were applied with red powder (Tikka) in an upward stroke, and were presented with flower garlands. Another heartwarming gesture by the villagers was the welcome banners made by other schools which were hung along the road leading to the village.

Throughout our stay at Janata Primary School, which accommodates slightly over 100 children and 6 teachers, we learnt as much from them as they did from us. Even though we didn't exactly possess the expertise of painting as well as teaching the English language, we tried our best to offer whatever we could. Besides teaching the kids English through interactive methods such as story-telling, arts and crafts and singing, the teachers were also given some insight on how to make learning of the English language more interesting and effective.

The various cultural performances, home-stay with local families, as well as various visits to places like the Pokhara Chamber of Commerce and the Nepal Tourism and Hotel Management College, allowed us to learn more about the Nepalese culture. In general, Nepalese are very hospitable and sincere people, who are extremely loyal to their country. It is quite sad though, that many of the Nepalese have great potential but lack the opportunity, something often taken for granted by many of us who live in more developed countries. Nevertheless, though the villagers do not have much, most of them are still happy with what they have and enjoy the simple things in life.

Personally, I had an experience of a lifetime when I was one of the many who had stomach problems in the middle of the night. As my condition, as well as that of one other team mate, persisted for quite long throughout the night, we decided to go to the hospital. It was around 3am and to our relief, one of the villagers who was contacted to send us to the hospital was more than willing to do so despite having to wake up at such an unearthly hour. Later in the morning, the headmaster of the school made a trip down to visit us in the hospital even though it was a school day and there was an important ceremony planned for that afternoon. We greatly appreciated his care and concern for us, as well as the teachers who asked after us when we got back to the school.

All in all, it was a truly eye-opening and heartwarming experience to interact with the people in Nepal. The sense of fulfillment which we experienced is one that cannot be matched by the possession of material things.